Alienation and In Search of Lost Time

Abstract

The paper examines the Marxian concept of alienation in the context of Marcel Proust’s novel In Search of Lost Time. Although Proust was not a Marxist, beneath the surface of the novel’s milieu – that of an anachronistic aristocracy – one can discern a literary exploration of the antagonistic processes of modern society, rendered with unparalleled meticulousness. This paper presents key aspects of the Proustian critique, including the romantic anti-capitalism of the bourgeoisie, the private property-based logic of human relationships, and the disintegration of the bourgeois subject. These themes are explored with reference to the writings of Theodor W. Adorno and Walter Benjamin.